1. Field
At least one example embodiment relates to a stereo matching apparatus and method, such as, an apparatus and method for performing stereo matching at a minimum cost, using a cost function determined by learning a confidence associated with a pixel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to commercialization of a three-dimensional (3D) image representation technology using a left image and a right image, stereo matching was developed to search for corresponding pixels between the left image and the right image.
Stereo matching allows a left image and a right image to be matched to each other, to output binocular disparity information of the left image and disparity information of the right image. In the stereo matching, a data cost used to determine a similarity between a pixel of the left image and pixels of the right image that are likely to correspond to the pixel of the left image may be determined. The stereo matching may determine binocular disparity information used to minimize a cost function including the data cost as the binocular disparity information of the left image and the disparity information of the right image.
However, because a size of an object in the left image or the right image is greater than a size of a pixel, and pixels in each of objects are similar to each other in color, a binocular disparity between a pixel of the left image and a pixel of the right image that does not correspond to the pixel of the left image may be less than a binocular disparity between the pixel of the left image and a pixel of the right image that corresponds to the pixel of the left image. Additionally, an error may occur during minimizing of a cost function and accordingly, incorrect binocular disparity information may be determined as the binocular disparity information of the left image and the binocular disparity information of the right image.
Accordingly, a cost function to minimize an error occurring in a stereo matching process is required.